6 comments:

You brought up the possibility of flipping the 24 in a trade, but might we go in the opposite direction? This draft is very top heavy with star-level talent, but at the same time is rich in the depth of mid-level talent (i.e. eventual starters or rotation players). If Joe decides to walk, and we flip him for a package of productive expirings, some young talent, and picks (Pryzbilla/Batum/filler/picks?), I would have to consider that a net gain.

As for the MLE, could we perhaps sign Ray Allen? I don't know if he would fall in that price range after this playoffs run, but I think that not only is he still a very good player, but that he brings a quiet but true leadership that Joe Johnson never managed to impart on his teammates.

Maybe having him would also force Josh to realize just how ugly and broken his catapult is.

Moving up in the draft isn't something I'd thought of previously, so, thanks for that idea. I think they can get frontcourt help at #24, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to trade up or buy an early 2nd-round pick to get Gani Lawal or Jarvis Varnado or Craig Brackins to augment the 24th pick. It's not the same as trading up to get DeJuan Blair but with Lawal having played at Tech that might make him equal to Blair in the eyes of the franchise.

It won't be possible to sign-and-trade Joe for a 2010 draft pick because the draft's a week before free agency begins but it might increase the return for him in a sign-and-trade (unless he goes to the Knicks).

Or, a future pick or picks for Joe might balance the scales from the deal to acquire him, especially if the Hawks, for next year, try to replace Joe's production with Crawford and Childress (if he plays on the qualifying offer in order to become an unrestricted free agent next summer) and use their summer 2011 cap space as best they can.

As for Ray Allen, I suspect he'd only take a $13 million pay cut to play for a team more likely to win a championship. Mike Miller would be a more likely and vaguely similar, though clearly inferior, player. He might be twice as good as Mo Evans for twice the money, though.

Long time lurker, first time poster. I moved to CA from ATL a little over a year ago, and this is a great way to keep up with(or be down about) the Hawks.

Everyone seems to think that bringing in a 'true' center and moving Horford to 4 is the cure we need. I don't think this is the way to go, since Smith is or would be very ineffective at 3. Just to finish this line of reasoning, it would make sense to move Smith for a 'true' center and someone else in such a scenario.

Could we bring in maybe Hibbert and Granger for Smith + reserves or draft picks? Hibbert is fairly awful at boards right now and even worse offensively against athletic bigs, but maybe we can develop him into a defensive stopper next to Horford. Granger would provide most of the offensive production we would lose from JJ. Though, in this scenario we would need someone at 2 who can create their own shot (i.e. not Crawford), since Granger can't really drive the ball to the hoop.

Ofcourse, I really like Smith and hope he stays, but I do wonder from time to time what his trade value is.

You're right that Josh Smith is the team's most valuable trade asset. I'd like to give Smith and Horford a full year under a new coach, ideally with Pachulia and Horford also playing together more often against bigger frontlines (though not with Smith at the 3), before looking to deal Smith.

I suspect Granger's the one untouchable on Indiana's roster but he's a wonderful player any team would love to have.

I can't imagine that Mo Evans is particularly happy with how this past season played out for him or the team. I would just think that, unless a new coaching hire really impresses him (ie, allows there to be open & fair competition for starting jobs), that he'd opt out if he thought there was a chance at getting about the same money somewhere else. That's not based on any inside information or anything, just a hunch.

I, too, would like to see Al & Josh (and, to a lesser extent, Marvin and Teague) get a year under a coach with a different philosophy. I just think that the good parts of their games can be emphasized even more without detracting from the overall team.

I favor Atlanta working something out with Memphis for Gasol and Conley plus either Gay or Mayo in exchange for Josh Smith plus whatever bench players Memphis want. If we could deal Bibby, obviously that would be preferable.